1. Point out what a student is doing well. When a student is pouring their time and energy into a song, scale or other technique exercise,I find that it is important to acknowledge the work they have put in so far. Students need to know what they are doing well in order to stay motivated to reach for more.
2. Have a plan. Students like to know that I have a specialized, individualized plan for making them successful week to week, month to month and so on. This plan must be targeted at strengthening their weak spots and expanding their knowledge of the musical world. One example would be progression a student through theory books in a sequential manner while paring that theoretical knowledge with real life music they can actually play. It's not the knowledge that counts. It's the results.
3. Celebrate with them. I like to ask my students what they did well this week. Maybe they found an extra 45 minutes to practice one day, maybe they made progress through a Mozart Sonata that had them blocked the previous week. Whatever it is, I try to be my own student's best fan. They need to know I'm in their corner.